Lunch Report - Wednesday September 11th

Lunch today will be another attempt to sit down and enjoy a sandwich. Who knows whether I'll get a chance...

Today's G&L is my latest acquisition, a 1986 SB-1.







These had always struck me as kind of a blah model, compared to the innovation all around it in the G&L catalog. I bought it last month because (a) the price was very right, and (b) it was one of the few Leo-era models I hadn't played yet. Against all expectations, I fell in love right from the start. This is one of my most comfortable basses (even though I'm judging it against a Lynx and an Interceptor). The MFD pickup that's in it now is a recent replacement, but the original Schaller is in the case. The MFD is very powerful, even though it's entirely passive. I expect the Schaller will tame things down a bit to a more "vintage" sound. That will probably happen in the next month or two, followed by a change from the round wounds it came with to a set of LaBella Deep Talkin' flats.

This bass has a maple body with quite a bit of flame. It would have been pretty stunning with a normal G&L finish, but the matte finish does a very good job of hiding the figuring:



When I received this bass a horrible "oh no, it's been refinished" feeling, but according to the '85 price list these were only available in matte sunburst. The price list doesn't specify the body wood, but Greg Gagliano mentions on his website that poplar became standard in '85.

G&L topic: I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my '63 Ampeg B-15 and haven't wanted to cover that beautiful tone with effects. Before it arrived, I experimented quite a bit with pedals using the SB-1 and my old Fender Bassman Ten. The SB-1 worked really well with almost anything I ran it through - OD, fuzz, filters. modulation, delay, etc. There's no need for OD or fuzz with the B-15, but tonight I'm going to try the SB-1 into the B-15 through a lowpass filter. Do you have a favorite pairing of a G&L and effect?

Non-G&L topic: Make a pitch for your favorite effect. Is there anything out there you think the rest of us should know about? I've raved about Moog's MF-101 Lowpass Filter before. The LPF will make any instrument a bit darker and sweeter, and with the envelope generator dialed in it becomes a world class envelope filter. Lately I've used mine with an EHX step sequencer controlling the cutoff frequency. which turns it into a whole other beast.

Ken

Wendy's today , jr bacon cheesburger

I'm just starting to get pedals , I've had a MXR from the 80's and still have it , I got the sonic stomp from LR and just purchased a Gain Changer last week , I also have been looking at the BBE Mindbender on web , I also have a Line 6 floor pod plus but found out after purchase it's a Cardinal sin to use it with my tube amp ..... I really need more stands than anything else at the moment ...lol

Hi Ken:

Favorite Effect:

I've always leaned toward the Ibanez TS9 tube screamer - I've had about 20 years now. Perfect for Blues. But, the more I play, one of the more versatile pedals I use is the G&L/BBE Mind Bender. I like the tone I get out of it. The Mind Bender for me does a lot more than I expected. Between the Tube Screamer and Mind Bender ~ they probably make up 90% of all the effects I use (and I've about 6 other pedals on top of the ones noted). The only pedal I don't have is a delay. I've not yet decided which one and I still have some research to do and hands on playing.

Other than that, today is 9/11 - never forget.

Regards,

Tim

i used to think the same of the tube screamer, then i got my hands on a home brew electronics power screamer. what a difference. all the good and none of the bad, plus a fat switch, and stacked chips for more headroom. also 3 diode setting. i also have the fulldrive 2 and that is a great improvement over the tube screamer as well. the hbe is still better though. then i got a jetter gsr. even better, a very smooth sounding drive, still an od in the tube screamer family. and finally what i call the ultimate of the tube screamer family, the xts precision drive. it is a very versatile od pedal, no loss of low end, and the midbump is controllable with the tone. the drive sounds great throughout its entire range ( a rarity indeed) and the tone control is also very usable in the entire range.
if you are gonna have only one drive pedal, i recommend the xts precision drive (or the multi drive, same pedal more options).

I haven't tried a Tube Screamer yet. I did recently pick up an Austin overdrive, made by EdenAnalog. It sounds good to me on guitar, and actually does a passable job on the bass.

I know this is a basic question, but how much of a difference is there between the various Tube Screamer models (e.g., TS-9, TS-808, TS-10, etc.)?

Ken

Fave effect - behringer ultra vibrato. Poor build quality, excellent sound, and fun.

Ken, I missed yesterday but was tied up with the band. Nice SB-1. I have to admit that I have not tried that type of bass. A lot of guys swear by P bass types but I have not tried them.

I do not use pedals except Sonic Maximizers and I use them on my bass rig and on all the vocal channels. I do not use effects on my bass. I've tried the built in effects on my Carvin RS-1000 and do not care for them, especially the compressor. -- Darwin

I don't know if I'd recommend this for anything but tedious studio tweeking,
it is really sensitive (needs bigger sliders) due to it's range potential.
I've been using this lately with an expression pedal on filter 1 and the envelope and LFO controlling filter 2.
It's fed with an aux out from the mixer and returns on a separate channel, so it's parallel and I can dial in just a smidge or full on sweeps by pulling down the main guitar channel .

I've yet to use the control voltages (except the exp. pedal) , you've spurred me on talking about the step sequencer.

Here's some front and back images:

and the back, there are eleven 1/4" interconnects .


http://www.ehx.com/products/bi-filter

IIRC These were designed by Mike Mathews and Mike Beigel (Mutron Creator) as a cousin to the uber rare Beigel Sound Lab ECF (53 units made total) .

I have a MF-101 plugin for my old protools , someday I hope to have some real ones.

I didn't know about the Satin only option on the SB-2s of that era. She does look like one of those basses that you can just close your eyes and the fingers take over.

Good to know about the XTS gear , when I can afford it I'll consider trying some out. Thanks Louis.

Has anyone tried the TS-808HW ? The review I read said it was close to the original 80's units, not quite there, but close.
They look well built.


elwood

i used to think the same of the tube screamer, then i got my hands on a home brew electronics power screamer.

Louis - I've been meaning to check out Homebrew. I was no longer doing the buying on effects at the shop when a few years later we picked up Homebrew. The guys all raved about it, and I meant to get off my rear and check it out. Looks like I'll need to do that.

Tim

i would recommend to get the tonestax option with burr brown chips and a fatboost.

That is one yummy subdued burst, mhmm.

My favorite pairing of effect and G&L?

Well, my two favorite effects are probably Fuzz and Delay so either of those plus a G&L= deliciousness.

Especially if you run them both together for some weirdness

Speaking of Fuzz, my pitch for an affect you guys might be interested in is one I recently picked up called the BMP-1 by Mojohand FX .

I was looking for a good Russian big muff clone and apparently this one is dead on for the tall font.

I tried it alongside a hoof and still went for the BMP-1 (but then again I was going for simplicity)

So if your looking for a good Russian big muff clone and you happen to see the BMP-1, try it out.

They're going to be hard to find soon as only 250 will ever be made.
[youtube]-SedwHM67fk[/youtube]

That is one yummy subdued burst, mhmm.

My favorite pairing of effect and G&L?

Well, my two favorite effects are probably Fuzz and Delay so either of those plus a G&L= deliciousness.

Especially if you run them both together for some weirdness

Speaking of Fuzz, my pitch for an affect you guys might be interested in is one I recently picked up called the BMP-1 by Mojohand FX .

I was looking for a good Russian big muff clone and apparently this one is dead on for the tall font.

I tried it alongside a hoof and still went for the BMP-1 (but then again I was going for simplicity)

So if your looking for a good Russian big muff clone and you happen to see the BMP-1, try it out.

They're going to be hard to find soon as only 250 will ever be made.
[youtube]-SedwHM67fk[/youtube]

my favorite delay is the neunaber delay, and the el capistan from strymon. my favorite fuzz is the jetter gain stage blue. i also like the lovepedal bbb and the lovepedal 200lbs tone.

Hey Ken
This is an amazing post for me. I switched from guitar to Bass a few years ago ;(I have since changed back). My friend loaned me his mid 80's SB-1 . OMG I couldn't believe that thing and I have since played many other G&L Basses and it was alright but not the sort of Bass you would spend all night with. Although it changed my mind from a 50's P or J Fender to needing a pre BBE G &L .As Gabe alluded many folk to , these so called student models were maple and maple sings baby. Woooohooooooo.
K.C,
I am a pedal addict and the one and only pedal you should buy is an Akai Deep Impact. End of story . It's the only pedal I would take for a gig on Bass. Sometimes the Band stops in amazement at the tones coming out of the Bass rig
Great week so far
Anthony

Thanks Anthony! I have heard a lot of good things about the Deep Impact. I've been keeping my eyes open for one to try, but they don't turn up that often.

Ken

My fave effects at the moment are the Barber Electronics Small Fry which I use a lot with the classic S, it's basically an OD with a boiling fender sound,
and my last pedal that is a Catalinbread Montavillian Echo, I love it to death... Never thought I'd love a delay pedal until that one.

Thanks Anthony! I have heard a lot of good things about the Deep Impact. I've been keeping my eyes open for one to try, but they don't turn up that often.

Ken

...and they ain't cheap. ..but I guess that's the point.

I was lucky with mine it was Australian $300 . Which is a lot but not compared to the EBay prices.

I just saw one go on TalkBass for $360 US.

Ken